Burial-casket



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. LAKIN. BURIAL GASKET.

No. 500,809. Patented July 4, 1803.

(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 2.

' J. A. LAKIN. BURIAL GASKET.

No. 500,800. Patented July 4, 1003.

fave/Ufa]; a 1 w Uwrrns STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES A. LAKIN, OF WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BU RlAL-rCASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,809, dated July 4-,1893.

Application filed December 10, 1892- Serial No. 454,719. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES A. LAKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at estfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inBurial-Gaskets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved and unusuallyeffectual means for hermetically sealing the lid of a casket or otherform of burial case, the advantages of which manner of sealing areobvious, and need no mention herein. And the invention consists in aburial case comprising the receptacle and the lid, the one or bothhaving a groove along the line of closure and an inflatable airtube inthe groove-constituted space, and an air-conduit leading from theexterior of the case, and communicating with the air-tube and having acheck-valve.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1is a perspective view of a casket, showing the lid open and havingapplied thereto the features of novelty comprised in or pertaining tothe present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the air-ring andinflating conduit connected thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional view takencentrally and longitudinally, and comprising but a small portion of thelength of the closed casket. Fig. 3 is a face view of an external plate,or bushing, which has a connection with the inflating airtube, combinedwith which is shown a check- Valve, and Fig. 4 is an enlargedcross-section of the closed casket.

In the drawings A represents the body of the casket and B the lid,hinged or connected, and both of metal, or any suitable imperviousmaterial, as usual, but it will be noticed that the adjoining edges ofboth the body and cover have grooves, a and b, which together form aspace extending entirely around the casket, and at the place of closure,in which the air-tube, O, is placed. This air-tube may be composedsolely of india rubber at a proper condition of vulcanization, or it maybe composed of india rubber in any of its elastic compounds, or ofrubber in combination with a reinforcing thickness of textile or othermaterial. This air-tube is inflated, or inflatable, so that when the lidis closed the expansive tendency of the air-tube will insure thecomplete filling of the continuous space constituted by the matchinggrooves and insure the exclusion of air to or of gases from the closedburial case. 1

d represents a cond uit which communicates with the air-tube and leadsto a suitable external part of the case whereby connection therewith ofan air-pump may be had for the inflation of the air-tube to the properdegree of distention, and at the left of Fig. 1, and indicated by D, isshown an air-forcing-pump, the construction of which may be as alreadywell known, and hence requiring no special description herein. As shownthe conduit, cl, has something the form of a T-coupling and the medianmember thereof may be of metal and is flaring or bell-mouthed at its oneend; to the branches, d d which are of rubber or other yieldingmaterial, the ends of the airtube are cemented or otherwise connected,and the flaring portion, 01 as here shown, terminates at the outersurfaoe of the body of the casket and receives the bushing or plate, f,which is secured in place by screws, or otherwise, and may, if deemeddesirable, be leadjointed or otherwise packed and will be plated orfinished as deemed appropriate. This bushing or plate has through it anopening, f here indicated as being screw-threaded;- although notnecessarily so,--for the reception of a nozzle of the air-pump; and acheckvalve is provided for the inflating conduit, cl, so that air forcedtherethrough may not escape, and to this end the hinged valve, 9,

is pivotally hung between the ear-lugs, g, to swing at the inner side ofthe aforesaid plate, f. Valves of other description might be applied forthe stated purpose and the application or arrangement thereof might beotherwise than as specifically shown, the primary purpose being tosecurely retain, for an indefinite period, practically all of the airwithin the air-tube which shall have been forced thereinto.

While, as shown and as will be manifest, it

a depth almost or quite as great as the diameter of the inflatedair-tube into which the latter might be placed Without departing fromthe invention.

In some kinds of burial cases it may be desirable to form thetube-receiving groove or grooves and provide the air-tube thereinlengthwise along but part of the edge of the case. And, again, ofcourse, the conduit, d,

might be extended to the outside of the lid ube in thegroove-constituted space, and an air-conduit leading from the exteriorof the case, and communicating with the air-tube and having acheck-valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the burial case with the lid, grooved,substantially as described, and the air-tube, of the conduit, d, havingthe flexible branches, d (P, to which the terminals of the air-tube areconnected, said conduit also having the flaring extremity terminating atthe exterior of the case and the bushing plate,f, having the opening anda check-valve thereat, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES A. LAKIN.

Vitnesses:

A. F. LILLEY, E. 0. Guam.

